Chapter 769: Chapter Eight: A Strike on Shi Yi

Gold and silver goods were loaded onto several small boats and hurried to Liangshanpo to hide—later, depending on the situation, they could be transferred to carts or mules to the stronghold. After all, Bai Lang and Shi Yi are not masters of water affairs; they are land‑war generals, not naval commanders. The two each sat in a boat, their swords gleaming across their knees. Within a few days, a huge incident broke out: the news that the imperial treasury had been seized by the "Little Ming King" Shi Yi spread along the Shandong road.

"Not only Shandong, the news has spread to Ming Dynasty Prefecture and Henan as well." At this moment, Bai Lang, who had already brought the gold and silver back to the stronghold, sat smiling in a county tavern, eating and drinking while listening. He didn't appear in the maritime capture records, probably because his reputation wasn't yet loud. Shi Yi's act made his name known in the north; there aren't many who dare seize the imperial treasury, and he is one of them. This crime is even heavier than the robbery of the birthday treasury by Chao Gai and his men.

"Sure enough, still the old tricks; Shi Dalang is just unlucky," Bai Lang thought. At this time, the court had already begun mobilizing troops, intent on eliminating the Little Ming King's forces. Bai Lang returned to the stronghold, where no heroes were flocking in, even with gold, silver, and jewels. "Is Shi Dalang still lacking reputation? He only has the title of Shandong's number‑one gunman, but lacks the fame of chivalry and generosity…"

Shi Yi himself seemed indifferent, and the idle men who followed him were much the same; they talked about storming Dong Jing and seizing the bird rank, saying that Shi Dalang would become an official, and they would all become generals. Bai Lang laughed heartily at this; since Shi Yi had money, the illicit business could be started—those privately brewed fine wines, the armor that civilians were forbidden to keep, he bought them all at high prices.

Shi Dalang was decked out in a flamboyant garb, and Bai Lang was reminded of the white‑robe junior general from the Three Kingdoms era. "Zhao Zilong is clearly a tall, bearded big man, yet people's impression of him is that he's a white‑robe junior general—how odd. Today, Shi Yi wields the Hundred Birds Facing Phoenix Spear and the Bright Silver Spear Haolong Dan; he is, at best, half a Zhao Zilong." Bai Lang thought, "This half‑Zhao Zilong charging at the troops of various prefectures is nothing special."

As long as they don't openly raise a banner and rebel against the prefectural governments, the Great Song court will probably intervene just this once, and then nothing more, perhaps offering a surrender. Bai Lang thought that if the stronghold remained at this scale, the Great Song court would essentially ignore it, as if the previous incident never happened…

Shi Yi seemed to have no great ambitions; with money, he held daily banquets, drank merrily, and then went to the stronghold's training ground to vent his energy. His martial skills improved at this time—though he still couldn't defeat Bai Lang. Bai Lang rarely appeared on the training ground; he didn't jump in easily but gave instruction, which was a way of saving face for the stronghold's chief Shi Yi; otherwise it would look bad to see the chief constantly beaten by the instructor.

The punitive army was assembled a month later, a force of two thousand soldiers led by Mao Guimao, nicknamed "Human Bear", and marched toward Shi Yi's stronghold. The news had been circulating since early morning; after hearing it in the tavern, Bai Lang casually mentioned it to Shi Yi, and Shi Yi also dispatched men daily to scout the mountain path. The battle plan had already been settled: defending was impossible, so they would take the initiative to strike outside the mountain, using personal valor to crush the enemy army.

If that proved impossible, riding away on horseback outside the mountain would be even more convenient.

Bai Lang also wore armor, a black‑red cuirass, his horse‑spear's shaft also bright red, and his warhorse was a dapple‑gray steed. Shi Yi wore a white robe and white armor, his mount a snow‑lion horse, and in his hand a bright‑silver spear Haolong Dan, its shaft black and its tassel red.

That day, Mao Guimao led his troops to camp outside the mountain; the idle men had already seen him rush back to report to Shi Yi, "Let them set up camp; we'll rest a night and fight tomorrow." Shi Yi hid the gold and silver, distributing a good share to the dozens of soldiers now in the stronghold, even giving a few taels of silver to those farming on the mountain. Morale surged instantly; after a night, Bai Lang wore a half‑smile, and Shi Yi burst out laughing, "Ah?!"

Because now he had only about a dozen soldiers behind him, the others took the money and fled over the mountains overnight.

Shi Yi wasn't angry at all, truly not angry, and Bai Lang was even less upset; he just found it amusing, "Loyal and righteous Water Margin…" Both men finished dressing, led their own warhorses toward the outside of the mountain. Bai Lang's armor was leather and paper, whereas Shi Yi's was genuine mail, visible as they left the mountain and saw the government troops arrayed. "So that's Mao Guimao, huh? Indeed a Human Bear," Shi Yi said, leaning against a makeshift shelter.

Bai Lang squinted slightly, "Hmm, someone who looks like that can't not be called a Human Bear. This fellow has no future; even Zhao official couldn't let such an ugly man enter the Golden Throne Hall." Before them, Mao Guimao stood over eight feet tall, a hulking black man covered in long hair—upon closer look, it was a special set of armor, but his face was truly hideous, so calling him a Human Bear was fitting. After the formation was complete, Mao Guimao laughed heartily at Shi Yi.

"Such a ragged thief doesn't even merit a single strike from your grandfather; come and obediently meet your death!" Mao Guimao roared arrogantly.

Incensed, Shi Yi spurred his warhorse forward. Bai Lang also urged his horse and followed, and the two riders charged into the government's thousand‑man formation. Mao Guimao rode a black horse, wielding a long‑handled greatsword, and shouted as he charged at Shi Yi. Shi Yi's horse reared, he lifted his spear; with a mere twitch of the spearhead, more than ten spear blossoms erupted.

It wasn't a soft white wax rod at all, but a horse‑war hard shaft with an iron core; wielding it required extraordinary strength. Mao Guimao swung his blade, but before the blade could even reach, he was pierced through the chest by a spear, and after a twitch he fell from his horse, left only gasping. "That's overkill; a single spear is enough for such scum. No need for those damn spear blossoms," Bai Lang laughed. Seeing their commander fall, the soldiers' formation began to waver.

These men were originally auxiliary troops, not regular cavalry, so when the two mounted commanders arrived, after a few deaths they scattered in a clamor. Bai Lang's horse‑spear never even stained with blood; Shi Yi, smug with triumph, didn't pursue the fleeing troops nor bother with the dead Mao Guimao on the ground, merely laughing heartily as he rode back toward the stronghold. He pretended not to hear Bai Lang's earlier remark; Bai Lang glanced at the dead Mao Guimao and thought, "His family is unlucky; now they'll have to bear the blame for the poor battle outcome. Why would Zhao official send them to die?"

【19】 They then rode back to the stronghold; Bai Lang felt that there would likely be no more government attacks, and the reputation along the road would become even more renowned, attracting capable men to join.